LO has always been challenging, since birth. I guess I was hopeful some of the issues would get better as he got older. But he'll be a 18 mo in January and DH and I are starting to lose our gourds. I'm basically venting but any or all advice for any of the issues below is appreciated.

1. We've enter the picky eater phase. This kid would devour liver if I gave it to him as an infant. Now, he literally eats seven things: Crackers, Cheese sticks, blueberries, chicken nuggets, pasta, bananas and applesauce (notice how there isn't one veggie in there). He's with DCP full time and let me tell you, the list there is MUCH longer. It includes mandarin oranges, green beans, cucumbers, eggs... however he refuses to eat any of that with us.

2. He's.so.clingy.and.dramatic. Since 3 months, he's hated anyone who isn't me or DH. It took him MONTHS to stop crying with DCP at drop off (still does some days) and despite seeing them weekly for 17 months, he bawls when we try to hand him off to my inlaws. I try to be patient with it, but we can't do anything or give him to anyone. It's like we're setting him on fire. And of course everyone takes it so personally and looks at you like you did something to your kid

3. Figuring out his naps, ugh. With DCP he naps once per day - 2.5-3 hours. Like a clock. Goes down easy, wakes up happy. At home he still can't make it past mid-morning. He always wakes up grumpy and crying. And he's awake by 5:30 a.m. every morning (we have a small window of time to get ready for work and it would help if he stayed down til at least 6!)

4. He isn't entertained by anything. Except movies - we've tried all sorts of imaginative play, his toys and cars, sensory stuff, books, pots and pans, painting, balloons... he likes nothing for more than 6 seconds. He just cries and screams and carries on until I'm carrying him all day trying to get my stuff done, only interjecting when we pass a light switch he wants to play with for a half hour or a bunch of cords he thinks he can tug at.

I think how horrible it is that he's my first and only and he makes me never want to have more kids. They're not all this draining, I have plenty of friends whose kids are normal! How do we cope?